So sad: Mandatory retirement for a former Everton defender.

After receiving a heart disease diagnosis, former Everton defender Rikke Sevecke was forced to retire from professional football at the age of 27.

In three Women’s Super League (WSL) seasons, the Danish international made 52 appearances for the Blues after joining in the summer of 2020. She was a terrific player for Brian Sorensen’s team the previous season, but she departed the team in June when her contract expired.

She joined the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in September, but she was not on the field for the team’s final four games of the season, and she has since announced that she will not be back for the 2024 campaign. Sevecke shared a social media post saying, “I’m not sure how to find the right words.” However, I will no longer be playing football as I have done my entire life, racing around doing it.

I had several tests conducted over the past few months, and I now received the findings, which indicate that I have a cardiac problem. I’ve been compelled to quit playing football professionally right away because I’m not authorized to keep doing so.

I was looking forward to so many more adventures. Nothing compares to playing for the Thorns and being a part of such a strong team. This was something I had been anticipating for some time.